Occasionally we hear “well we can’t just leave the theater empty,” and “no one has a plan.” Or the variant “nothing can be done.” That is not true. If the developer was willing to sell at a fair price, we are ready to publicly launch the fundraising drive.

There are many examples of towns that have saved their theaters and have created thriving community centers.
Visit our resources page on our site: https://www.savemadisontheater.org/resources/ to see what other towns have done and what beneficial impact local theaters have on local businesses and restaurants.

With the help of our advisory board member Ellen Elliott, we’ve developed a nonprofit business model that features family friendly prices of $5 a ticket for recent releases and offers reasonably priced concessions. Repairs and improvements to the structure can be funded through a series of historic preservation grants that are available to nonprofits.

Come to the Historic Preservation Committee meetings  at the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building and let them know that the theater has a great and viable future – its first 94 years was just the first part of its story.

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